San Mateo County health officials are reporting the county's first case of measles this year, marking the fourth time the highly contagious viral infection has turned up in the Bay Area in less than two months.

The rising numbers have experts concerned about an outbreak so early in the year and calling on all parents to make sure their children are vaccinated.

"Measles is here in the Bay Area, and because we have an international community here, it's very easy to get exposed to it," said Dr. Erica Pan, a pediatric infectious disease specialist and associate clinical professor at UC San Francisco. "But it's also very preventable with a vaccine."

State officials have already reported 15 cases statewide this year, compared to two this time last year. Alameda County has recorded one case and Contra Costa County has had two, including one which resulted in a UC Berkeley student exposing scores of BART commuters. Since 2000, when the disease was declared eradicated in the United States, the number of measles cases in California has fluctuated between four and 40 cases in a year. Cases since then originate overseas.

Several of the 15 people who contracted the disease had either traveled to countries where the virus is endemic, such as the Philippines and India, or came in contact with people who had traveled to such locations. The Philippines has reported about 1,700 cases during a current outbreak, said Sara Cody, Santa Clara County health officer.

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More than half of the statewide cases were patients who had not been vaccinated. Although the recommended MMR vaccine is 99 percent effective in warding off the disease and vaccinations are required in the California school system, parents can opt out of getting their children vaccinated due to personal belief exemptions.

"There has been a goal to eradicate measles globally," says Pan. "We've made progress but due to myths, misinformation, and personal exemption statements we see the disease popping up."

Pockets of people can spread the disease to those who are too young to be vaccinated or who have compromised immune systems, she says. The disease is contagious for four days before and after a telltale rash occurs on the face and hairline. Before that, symptoms such as coughs and red watery eyes are common.

The infection can lead to other complications ranging from ear infections and diarrhea to pneumonia, brain damage, and even death. Cody advises that families with young children check their kids' vaccination records and update accordingly. She also says that people planning to travel outside of the United States should be sure to get the proper immunizations before departing the state.